When the Virtual Connection Goes Local

Welcome back!

Well I am pumped in a big way! I just met some wonderful new/old friends and my business focus just got a little sharper.  Let me explain…

For about 2 years I’ve belonged to a pretty active and engaged women’s small business networking group that has among its membership some of the most successful and recognized online business owners like Nicole Dean, Alice Seba, Leesa Barnes and owner Kelly McCausey.  The group is called Mom Masterminds and it’s a pretty unique destination on the net.

After joining this mentorship group in 2007 I learned how to take my daughter’s art business online, set up a website for my own marketing business and establish a blog–this one– for my 15-year passion about new urbanism.

Rarely does a day go by that I don’t check-in to our online discussion forum to see what questions are being asked or to ask one of my own or even just to welcome a new member.  But that’s just the business side of things.  While this group is about business, it’s also a network of women so you know we inevitably talk about “more” than business on our treasured discussion forums.

At any given time of the day someone may be feeling a little unmotivated because of family demands, someone else may have a sick child–whatever the personal need, our discussion forum has become a place to learn, unload and relax with “virtual” colleagues who in many cases have become friends.

That explains why my first experience hosting an in-person “meet-up” this past weekend in Toronto was like a meeting of old friends.  Our virtual connections went “local” when the group’s Michigan based owner Kelly McCausey with partner Lynette Chandler decided to add a local component to our online network of hundreds of women.  By encouraging local “Meet-ups” of members and non-members in cities across the U.S. and Canada we added one more great benefit to this group.

The information and resources offered through MM are targeted at new or established women entrepreneurs who really want to grow their business through best practices in Internet marketing.  In fact, one of the great treats about this recent local “Meet up” is that Kelly McCausey came in person to talk about the group and also shared her newly published book “The Complete Internet Marketing Moms Start Up Guide.”

This guide contains just about everything a new entrepreneur should know in order to plan, successfully launch and operate an Internet based business.  I feel so strongly about this book that I plan on sharing it at other venues in my own local community.  I know a lot of commuters, neighbours and frustrated professional women who would be interested in the options/choices this guide offers for those who want to work for themselves.

I learned so much from the women I met this weekend and I look forward to connecting in the short term with Leesa Barns, Imie Belanger, Lexi Rodrigo and Angela Wills

Some pictures from our meet-up:

The Community Garden Concept

Our neighborhood has homes situated on lots that are perfectly suitable for decent gardens.  That’s why I was surprised at the popularity of the community garden.

I actually can’t confidently say I knew there was one. But yesterday my son spent his second visit there with a dear friend of our family who kindly invited him to join her.  He LOVES it there.

The community garden in our neighborhood is made possible because of the generosity of a local family who have allowed access to a portion of their private property for this specific use.

The concept is really wonderful. Participants make a donation to the area’s local Food Network and contribute their time and available resources towards the maintenance of the garden and the purchase of supplies.

Relationships develop as participants meet their “plot neighbors” on visits and gradually learn more about each other. According to William a visit there is like witnessing a neighborhood busy about it’s business of socializing and working. Individuals dig about their plots, chatting about their interests and local events.

On William’s previous visit he met an older couple from England who captured his imagination with the brief glimpse of their personal history that they were kind enough to share with him.

I can’t recall if I’ve posted this before or not, but William plans to be a film maker.  His wheels are spinning about the potential story that could come from this community garden with its cast of players – from the intriguing couple from England, to the “neighbours” from Sri Lanka.

William could easily tell from the easy conversations and the sense of complete contentment on the faces of these “gardeners” that the community garden serves more than one purpose; it’s a place for growing food and for nurturing relationships that help to strengthen our larger garden – our town.

What an apt definition for new urbanism.

Supporting New Urbanism and the Question of Moving

So let’s say you live in one of those cul-de-sacs that are such a no-no in the new urbanism movement. Does that mean you have to consider moving to practice what you preach as a new urbanism convert?

Of course not. While a McMansion on a cul-de-sac doesn’t appeal to me anyhow, personally I would love to move to one of the newer new urbanism developments in my community because I love the neighborhood design, the small but stylish homes and I have friends there.

I won’t be moving though because where I live allows me to conserve energy and spend less!

I’m in one of those small, post-war homes that was thankfully built near a nature conservation area, our town’s Main St., amazing libraries and museums and excellent public transportation. Looking at all those benefits helps me to keep a level head about moving.

That’s a good thing since the temptation is always there – after all I put out the Top Ten New Urbanism Communities list every year and the research involved in creating that list has me submersed in the details and attributes of some of the most attractive and affordable new urbanism communities in all the locations we would consider moving to (both in the U.S. and Canada).

Overall I think that’s a good thing. It’s an indication that more and more builders are building quality, affordable homes that regular families like ours can afford.

So keep a level head about new urbanism. Don’t feel you have to move to embrace the ideals of this movement. If you were planning on moving anyhow, then yes this is a great time to consider your options of moving to a city or a new urbanism development that embraces the close knit community feel of traditional neighborhood designs.

But if moving isn’t on your agenda, some of the more important questions to ask are:

• Can I use public transportation more?
• Can I buy more of our food, clothing and housewares from  local vendors and producers?
• Can I lobby or work with community leaders to ensure that there are resources and infrastructures in place to support work-at-home-opportunities and attract more businesses to my town?

Even on Vacation Communities Make the Difference

I love vacations. Our family, like so many others, has many funny, wonderful memories of vacations that begin with checking into the hotel in a new city or country and end with checking out of the hotel, carrying a suitcase full of souvenirs and dirty laundry!  Our recent vacation was a little different.

We landed in a foreign country, but skipped the hotel part.  We set up our temporary home in the community. The location: 2119 feet above sea level in a quaint Jamaican village where my mother grew up.

Each morning I’d wake up early and retrace some of the steps my mother would have taken as a girl.  I’d stroll up the street saying good morning to many of the older folks, some related, some not, but represent the majority of those remaining residents in sleepy spot in the Jamaican mountainside.

My mother (and father) left Jamaica around 1956 and though she and my father took us back for brief visits throughout the years, I’d never really spent a lengthy amount of time here. We usually stayed in hotels in Ocho Rios, Kingston, Montego Bay or Negril.

Staying in this community during this vacation was a wonderful change of pace and I highly recommend it to those of you choosing to vacation in beautiful Jamaica.  Book any one of the stunning resorts for your stay but make sure to take a few days worth of tours through Jamaica’s communities.

When I celebrate my home, Toronto, I’m really celebrating the distinct communities where people live since it is these places–where people actually live–that make this region of Canada special.  Places like – High Park, Little Italy, The Beach, Riverdale, Lawrence Park, Leaside and Toronto’s surrounding communities like Oakville, Unionville and Markham are all the “ingredients” that make Toronto a delicious and memorable place to visit.

Here are a few images from our June 2009 trip:

3-Minute Video about New Urbanism

New urbanism is one of those concepts that can be difficult to grasp. It’s a term that’s not part of our daily conversation, yet its meaning is very much a part of what most people engage in every day.

If you go to work or are looking for work that you can afford to get to every day, you’re involved in new urbanism.

If you worry about the safety of your community, activity options for you, your kids, your family, recycling and other green living initiatives – you’re thinking about new urbanism.

I just came upon the Congress of New Urbanism’s 2009 Video Award winner and that’s exactly what it is – a winning definition for “new urbanism:”

The Joys of Urban Life

There are days when I enjoy having the countryside nearby and the quietness of suburban life.  There are other days when I miss the years my husband and I lived smack dab in the center of a large urban city.  Luckily I have a foot in both worlds right now.

“This city is what it is because our citizens are what they are.”

Plato

I thought it would be fun to have a look at what “citizens” have done to make an urban lifestyle wonderful to see and experience. Join me on a visual tour of just a few great cities.

Show 15 – The Community Builder

What qualifies a community to be on the New Urban Mom Top Ten Communities List? A commitment to building or redeveloping neighborhoods that will nurture a real sense of community.

That’s not an easy concept to explain and that’s why we’re thrilled to have on this week’s show the builder responsible for the New Urban Mom Top Ten List community, Longleaf .

Longleaf development’s Perry Reader, is an architect and planner who was there when new urbanism took hold in the U.S. over 20 years ago. Today as President of the Florida division of Crosland he is part of a company which has as its corporate mission the development of sustainable communities that enhance urban and natural environments.

Listen in as Perry informs us on what makes his firm’s communities so beneficial for the people living there and the environment as a whole.

Show 15

The Commuting Problem

The case for urban living: Even though we know that long commutes increase pollution and have a lousy impact on one’s quality of life, it is still a reality of life for millions of people who simply don’t live close to their place of employment.

In my town this continues to be a challenge that is newsworthy as so many commuters are looking for solutions.  In that vein I thought I’d share some options that are being discussed in my region.

Move Closer to Work

This is one of the most obvious choices, but also among the most difficult to make. If you are a suburbanite with a job located in a distant urban core that could mean a significant change in living accommodations and neighborhoods.  And while you would save on your commuting costs, you could take on an even larger mortgage or monthly housing cost. Thriving cities with residential options are often VERY expensive. If you’re on a limited income your only option may be to downsize in order to afford housing within your budget.

That could mean selling your larger suburban home and purchasing a smaller town home or condo.  This sounds worse than it actually is as many builders/developers are coming up with beautiful urban home and community designs that rival suburban and rural options in comfort, style and livability.

Another choice is the rental option.  Depending on your investment preferences you could choose to  sell your suburban home, invest the liquidated equity from that sale in some financial instrument, and sign onto a leased apartment or home in the city.

Choosing to move to the city is not a choice for everyone, but for some  families, or empty nesters or individuals/couples with children in college or on their own, this is a viable choice.  I know of a few couples who decided that since they couldn’t afford the 700K+ price tag of most single family city homes in their region, they were going purchase or rent smaller condominiums.  Being close to live theaters, art galleries, museums, cafes, good stores and a walkable urban neighborhood was THAT important to them.

Lobby for Better Commuter Transit

In many regions there are beautiful commuter trains that can zoom commuters into the city in minutes.  The experience is fast, convenient and so much better for the environment as every full train represents hundreds of cars (and their poisonous emissions) that are not on the road.

Here’s the problem: unless you are in a very well financed and busy region, there are almost never enough commuter trains to meet the need.  It’s a vicious cycle…you need enough commuters taking the train to provide additional service, but if there isn’t sufficient service many will choose not to take the trains.

For instance where we live the last commuter train leaves at 8:30 a.m. in the morning.  The last train leaving the city in the evening leaves at 6:00 p.m.  So if you have to go into work later or stay later at work, you’re out of luck.  This inflexibility keeps many of my neighbors in their cars, which is unfortunate.

So lobby, lobby, lobby – and push for better schedules.  If all else fails…search out employment close to home and look seriously into the benefits of the urban lifestyle.

The picture of urban homes featured above is courtesy of Gothamistllc.com.

Community Organizers Shape our World for the Better

Well we’re in the heat of a U.S. election battle and while this isn’t a political website, this is a site that champions the power of community.  So I take great exception to  slams against community organizers.  Sen. Barack Obama’s background as a “community organizer” was maligned during the Republican convention.

Whether you support Sen. Obama and the Democrats or Sen. McCain and the Republicans you might want to consider weighing in on this issue.

As an active mom, church member, PTA member, former town promotion volunteer, and new urbanism champion, I think what I’ve done requires some responsibility.  I think many who have assumed  the role of “community organizer” would be offended by the campaign’s assertion that such a role carries with it  no responsibility.

Unless you do in fact believe in big government control, which I highly oppose, how could you not champion the people who take it upon themselves to respond to issues in the community and to ACT? The Democrats and the Republicans are parties that are both strengthened by the hard work of such people.

The same holds true for the focus of this website. New urbanism communities today are unique and attractive places in our suburbs and cities that thrive on the contribution, creativity and dedication of individuals who want to create inspiring, clean, safe and culturally stimulating communities.

We want communities that support our desires to start our own businesses or secure good employment; nurture strong families and; live a “green” lifestyle.  Most importantly we want all of this to be sustainable.

Without these “community organizers” our new urbanism neighborhoods aren’t sustainable and remain just an idea.  The fact that new urbanism was an idea that became a slow and steady reality over the last 18 years is a testament to the “community organizers” and visionaries in urban planning, architecture, residential construction, sustainable “green” development and grassroots neighborhood advocacy.

So let’s hope we have an election that examines the real issues facing Americans and let’s hope it is done with compassion and respect for the true potential that is within all of us to do what is right for our families, our country and the environment.

New Urbanism comes to Hollywood…Florida

The town of Hollywood, Florida is just about ready to approve the construction of an “urban village” that will cost upwards of $500 million. This ought to have some impact on efforts to curb urban sprawl by keeping/attracting residents to more urbanized areas of this region.

Even though this Florida development is described as the model of the future “that will feature connected network of streets accommodating pedestrians, cars and bicycles” it still had to overcome significant concerns of county and city governments and local residents before getting to this final stage of approval.

That’s a point worth noting in order to manage some expectations. One of the reasons that new urbanism has had a slow but steady growth over the last 18 years or so is that it requires appropriate infrastructure and “communications” to ensure sustainability and community buy in.

Introducing a high density project to a neighborhood isn’t always greeted with open arms and that’s no surprise. Visions of crowded spaces and noise come to mind and no one wants that.

What we do want, however, is a cleaner environment and a way to reduce costly commutes to work. Over the years architects and community planners have come up with increasingly better designs that build on the strengths of urban living while finding ways to incorporate green space and other features that support a healthier lifestyle. Those improvements are converting more naysayers into new urban champions.

To read more about Hollywood, Florida’s newest new urban community click here.

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